Education key to empower people with disability: President

New Delhi, December 4: President Pranab Mujherjee Wednesday said education was one of the key instruments for empowering people with disability. The president said children with disabilities should have access to educational opportunities that will enable them to equally compete for gainful employment and lead a life of dignity.

"One of the key instruments for empowering persons with disabilities, is education," he said after presenting the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities - 2014 at a function here.

He emphasised that special training of teachers was essential to understand the needs of children with disability and to guide them effectively. The president said a lot more needs to be done to facilitate the disabled in their daily life. "Besides refining our policy framework, it is essential for us to reinforce our efforts to have a better delivery mechanism including through effective partnership with the private sector and civil society," he said.

The president also inaugurated the first interactive web portal swavlamban.info made by the department of disability. Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 has been introduced in parliament in the beginning of this year.

"It envisages more rights and entitlements to all categories of persons with disabilities and would also provide for strong implementation mechanism," he said. The minister said the central government is examining the feasibility of issuing a universal ID, which is applicable across the country to overcome the difficulties faced by people with disabilities, as presently certificate issued by one state is not applicable in other states or central government departments. The minister also said action was being taken for establishment of five centres for disability sports.

IANS